Suntrease Williams-Maynard

As a former Assistant U.S. Attorney for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Alabama and the Southern District of Texas, Suntrease has vast experience in leading and conducting investigations. Additionally, she has handled a wide array of investigatory matters as an Assistant Staff Judge Advocate in the United States Air Force Reserve. As such, she guides many of our clients, in particular municipalities and higher educational institutions, in conducting investigations in various matters, including allegations of misconduct and policy violations and sexual harassment.

Prior to joining Adams and Reese, Suntrease served as a trial attorney for the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in Mobile. In this role, she was the sole legal counsel to federal investigators and the Local Office Director for Mobile on case development strategies. Her duties also included conducting training and outreach, both internally and externally, on the statutes enforced by the EEOC, as well as creating significant partnerships with other agencies in an effort to fulfill the EEOC’s mission, which led to her receiving the Community Service Award within her first year of service to the agency. Thanks to this experience, Suntrease is also well versed in labor and employment issues and federal employment discrimination statutes.

Suntrease also served as Assistant U.S. Attorney for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Alabama and the Southern District of Texas. She joined the U.S. Department of Justice through the Attorney General Honors program being one of ten selected nationwide to serve at the U.S. Attorney’s Office. In this role, she handled issues relating to election and voter fraud allegations and prosecutions, health care fraud, the False Claims Act (FCA) and Anti-Kickback Statute. 

In her service under the Civil Rights Enforcement Unit, she enforced statutes such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Fair Housing Act (FHA), the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA), the Voting Rights Act (VRA), the Equal Educational Opportunities Act of 1974 (EEOA) and the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA). Also thanks to her experience in these roles, Suntrease has in-depth experience with federal agencies including the Border Patrol; Homeland Security Investigations; Drug Enforcement Administration; Customs and Border Protection; Federal Bureau of Investigation; U.S. Marshals Service; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Department of State and Postal Inspectors. 

In addition to her service to the U.S. Attorneys’ offices, Suntrease is also an Assistant Staff Judge Advocate in the United States Air Force Reserve. She carries the rank of Major and was the recipient of the inaugural community service award for a youth program that she developed while attending Judge Advocate Staff Officer Course. She was also twice featured in the Judge Advocate General's Reserve Publication for her outstanding service and contribution in 2014 and 2018. She was also the first IMA reservist in the United States Air Force’s history to be selected to serve as a U.S. Senate Youth Program mentor. 

In each of her roles, Suntrease has taken a personal approach to finding ways to connect with the community and conduct outreach. She is passionate about youth issues within the community she serves. She has led efforts to bridge the gap between youth and law enforcement by creating and implementing a program called Successful Tips for Youth on Law Enforcement Encounters (STYLE), which was designed to create and foster positive relationships and mutual respect to ensure safety during encounters. The FBI adopted this program for national implementation and the program is now known as Bridging the Gap.